By way of example, the invention can be applied to dispensers for consumable products, such as foodstuffs, or dispensers of services, such as travel tickets or vehicle parking tickets.
Apparatus for dispensing products and services in exchange for payment in coins, hereinafter called "dispensers", generally comprises a front panel provided with an opening in the form of a slot, into which the coins are inserted, and one or more other openings for giving change, for returning coins and/or for delivering the desired product or a ticket. The apparatus usually comprises an enclosure in the form of a rectangular block containing various systems needed for operation of the dispenser, such as a device called the "coin input" a coin selector, a cash box, means for ejecting non-conforming objects, and a return tray for example.
The device called the "coin input" has several functions, such as blocking the insertion slot when the dispensing apparatus is not in use, routing coins to the selector for identifying the respective values of the coins, and ejecting objects inserted in the dispenser if they do not conform to the type of coins accepted by the dispenser apparatus.
The coin input device accordingly comprises various parts, including sensors for allowing a preliminary recognition of inserted objects, either to prevent non-conforming objects from being inserted or, if these objects are nevertheless inserted, to eject them.
The dispensers to which reference is made above are, by definition, located in public places and are thus exposed to acts of vandalism and/or fraud. Withstanding vandalism requires high mechanical strength for the dispenser, especially in the region of its openings, and more particularly its coin input.
Fraud also constitutes a major problem with this type of dispenser. For example, attempts are made to introduce a coin attached to a wire or the like, in order to release operation of the apparatus and then to recover the coin thus inserted. Attempts are also made to introduce objects resembling coins, either in their shape or their composition. Instances of blocking coin insertion are also encountered, which are done in order to recover coins subsequently inserted by other customers who abandon their money thus inserted without obtaining the consideration (i.e. product or ticket) for their payment. The fraudster then unblocks the system and recovers the inserted coins and/or obtains the consideration in product and/or service. Attempts are also made to introduce foreign materials, such as liquids (for example acid), in order to block or put out of action the electronic means controlling the dispenser, which can thus be put in a state of permanently dispensing or giving change.
The few examples above show the difficulty of protecting such dispensers. It is, thus, desirable to prevent access to the system for transporting the coin between the slot through which it is inserted and the coin selector which effects coin identification, apart from access by authorized persons.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the above problems. The simplest type of known dispenser does not comprise any detection means and comprises a flap mounted to rotate between a first position in which it blocks a slot for introducing coins, and a second, retracted position in which the opening is open and allows the insertion of a coin. The opening and closing of the flap is effected by a central unit, adapted to free the opening when, for example, the conditions of payment and selection of products and services have been correctly entered by the user.
That relatively rudimentary known device suffers from problems. In the first place, it allows access to the interior of the apparatus very easily, once the flap is open and, in particular, access to the coin path, which can thus be blocked, or through which a captive coin, such as mentioned above, can be inserted. Equally, it offers no recognition of inserted objects.
Attempts have been made to improve the device referred to above and coin input devices are known comprising a sensor, of inductive type for example, located in the vicinity of the slot and adapted to trigger the command for opening the coin insertion opening, via the central unit.
Although it does allow some clearly non-conforming objects to be eliminated, such as a disk of cardboard, that device is nevertheless limited to one characteristic only of the introduced object. Moreover, once the flap is retracted by the sensor command, it allows the slot to open and, thus, gives access to the interior of the dispenser, with the damaging consequences referred to above. Furthermore, the proximity of the sensor to the coin insertion slot makes the sensor very vulnerable to damage by insertion through the slot of an object such as a screwdriver or the like, thus putting the sensor out of action.
The two types of coin input devices of known type, referred to above, are sometimes associated with gravity feed means for the inserted coins, from the coin inlet to the selector. The gravity feed means are generally formed by an inclined ramp, in the form of a chute. The chute can be of simple type, in which case it feeds the coin directly by rolling the coin, or it can be of the type called "dynamic", which is provided with test means allowing inserted objects to be tested according to their dynamic characteristics, coins following a predetermined path arriving at the selector, while the non-conforming objects are sensed and ejected before they arrive at the selector. Although this ejection is advantageous in itself, it is not always satisfactory in the way in which it is effected downstream of the coin input device and thus inside the apparatus, where damage can already have been done by inserted non-conforming objects, in particular corrosive liquids. Moreover, the ramps or chutes which feed by gravity occupy a non-negligible height. However, the constraints involved in use of dispensers, especially by handicapped persons, restrict the height of the slot above the ground to 1.30 meters at the most. Also, dispensers for use by non-handicapped persons should have a discharge device for return of coins, or change, or of a ticket, located at a height above the ground of at least 0.65 meters. This, thus, limits the overall height and the size of dispenser means and systems to a maximum height dimension of 0.65 meters. However, gravity systems use up a large fraction of this height simply to feed coins from the coin inlet to the selector.
A third type of coin input device has been proposed, especially for parking meter type apparatus, comprising two flaps adapted to be moved between an edge-to-edge first position in which they block access to the coin input device, and a second position in which they are separated from one another and thus allow an inserted object to penetrate into the coin input device. The opening command for the two flaps is provided by the object itself, by means of a cam, of which one end bears against the edge of the coin or inserted object and the other end is associated with a mechanism adapted to effect the separation of the two flaps, thus providing access to the coin input device if the inserted object conforms in its dimensions as sensed by the movement of the cam.
That device does allow an improvement in the access conditions to the coin path but it does not have any means for detecting and validating the inserted objects apart from by their shape. Note also the relative vulnerability of the flap, which can be held in the open position by mechanical means or adhesive. It is also noted that this disadvantage applies to the two first known devices mentioned above, in which the flap is rotatably mounted. Blocking the flap in open position in an unauthorized manner gives access to the interior of the machine and, thus, allows fraudulent operations already referred to above to be carried out.
A fourth type of coin input device is known comprising a disk rotatably mounted on the outside of the apparatus, the rotation being effected by the user once the inserted coin is in a receptacle provided in the disk, the coin being located in the plane of the disk. The rotation of the disk causes movement of the coin or inserted object in front of a sensor and feeds the coin toward a selector and/or a cash box. A variant of this type of device comprises a slider provided with a receptacle facing the slot in a first position of the slider and facing the selector in a second position of the slider.
That type of device can prevent access to the coin path during the transport of the coins between the coin input and the selector. However, it suffers above all from the disadvantage that it does not allow an inserted foreign body to be rejected, with the difficulties and damaging consequences that can result for the operation of the dispenser. In addition, that type of device is vulnerable and sensitive to external conditions, such as ice and dust. Moreover, since the device is located on the outside, there is an increased vulnerability to vandalism. Finally, recognition by the sensor is only effected once the inserted object is on its path towards the selector or the cash box.